This can only be good news for English Rugby... It will force much needed changes to the squad... Wilko should not be the first name of the sheet anymore like he was in 2003 and previous years...

Bullitt

21-04-08, 07:08 PM

WooHoo!!!

http://cultivatecreativity.com/images/woohoo.gif

England will Still get hammered though.

ulster08

21-04-08, 07:21 PM

I think this marks the end for Wilkinson...not a minute too soon either!
Cant see England missing him too much, they will get beat with or without him

danny

21-04-08, 07:34 PM

No Wilko, who gives a f***!
Bigger issue is why is Jonno staying at home to watch his wife give birth. I`d rather be on rugby tour. Wouldnt you?

nick_w

21-04-08, 09:39 PM

It won&#39;t be the last we hear from him, but I imagine that the forced changes will start to rock the boat for the number 10 shirt. Think Cipriani will be taking it on for NZ, but it also gives an opportunity for other FH in the league to get some game time.

A help, not a hinderence me thinks.

Vambo

21-04-08, 10:10 PM

It&#39;ll be interesting to see how many players don&#39;t make the tour for whatever reason.
There may be the right noises being made now about sending as near a full strength team as possible on tour but methinks there will be quite a few noticeable absentees and new caps handed out on the tour when the squad gets named.

thepretender

21-04-08, 10:49 PM

i&#39;m not desperately worried about his absence, and the same goes for vickery.

Wilko needs time away from Rugby and it will free up a slot for a form fly-half to come in, hopefully Geraghty, but i wouldn&#39;t be too dissapointed if it wasn&#39;t.

As for Vickery, it removes the issue of only having a captain on the field for 60minutes, and will provide Stevens with some decent game time.

Canuck-Backrow

21-05-08, 12:26 AM

I don&#39;t understand why you all think that the squad wouldn&#39;t benefit from the inclusion of Wilkinson, even if hes no wearing the 10 jersey think what the young risers could learn from having him outside them

The man scored the most test points in history lets give him the respect he deserves please

nam97

21-05-08, 04:35 AM

YAY! Now that he&#39;s gone, we might have a chance of beating England. We are the underdogs after all.

O'Rothlain

21-05-08, 04:41 AM

Wilko needs time away from Rugby.... [/b]
He&#39;s only played like 3 games since the 2003 RWC...What do you mean he "needs time away from Rugby?"
:blink:

Resdpect for being nothing then a name for the past 5 years, holding back the development of the English game by constantly being portrayed as a "rugby god", pushing promishing up-and-coming players aside to be shoe-horned back into the setup. Or for being a cheating gob****e, constantly looking to injure opposition players with either poor tacking or dirty tricks (ask Chris Hyndman who neadlessly kneed him in the back and ended his career). Or for being a chuffing idiot ("Poor form doesn&#39;t exist").

Yeah, that deserves respect.

Prestwick

21-05-08, 02:02 PM

<div class='quotemain'>The man scored the most test points in history[/b]

Resdpect for being nothing then a name for the past 5 years, holding back the development of the English game by constantly being portrayed as a "rugby god", pushing promishing up-and-coming players aside to be shoe-horned back into the setup. Or for being a cheating gob****e, constantly looking to injure opposition players with either poor tacking or dirty tricks (ask Chris Hyndman who neadlessly kneed him in the back and ended his career). Or for being a chuffing idiot ("Poor form doesn&#39;t exist").

Yeah, that deserves respect.
[/b][/quote]

Umm wow

He is a rugby-god....you really think some youngster like ryan lamb or cipriani could ever be as good as him? he&#39;s still in prime age why does everyone want to give the 10 jersey to an inexperienced whelp

His tackling is what makes him much more valuable than those other players, he can do everything well while all of his competitors may be exceptional at only certain skills

sanzar

22-05-08, 01:56 AM

What are you talking about?? Wilkinson has been injured consistently since the 2003 WC final and even when he has been on the pitch he&#39;s only been mediocre at best, with his goal kicking the only exceptional feature he brings to games.
I mean sure Wilkinson did something incredible for England in the 2 years that culminated with their RWC victory, but other than that he hasn&#39;t done an aweful lot apart from get pasted by Dan Carter in his brief appearance in the 2005 Lions tour, and that for me means he&#39;s not yet entitled to an "immortal" status... you have to be consistent over your career to go down as a true legend, not just have a couple great years.

nick_w

22-05-08, 09:39 AM

What are you talking about?? Wilkinson has been injured consistently since the 2003 WC final and even when he has been on the pitch he&#39;s only been mediocre at best, with his goal kicking the only exceptional feature he brings to games.
I mean sure Wilkinson did something incredible for England in the 2 years that culminated with their RWC victory, but other than that he hasn&#39;t done an aweful lot apart from get pasted by Dan Carter in his brief appearance in the 2005 Lions tour, and that for me means he&#39;s not yet entitled to an "immortal" status... you have to be consistent over your career to go down as a true legend, not just have a couple great years.
[/b]

Precisely,

And the comment stating that Lamb and Cipriani will never be better than Wilko is sheer ignorance to what they have achieved this year I&#39;m afraid.

Agreed, he was the best fly half in the world, bar none, in the years leading up to and including the RWC 2003, but since then he seems to have stumbled through. I feel sorry for the guy, and I think his inconsistency has been linked to his numerous injuries, but when he has been back, he has been a shadow of his former self, and Lamb and Cipriani for that matter.

As I said before, Wilkinson will be around again, without a doubt, but with someone like Johnno leading the way, he&#39;ll have to put his hand up and want it more than ever, because although he guarantees you points from penalties in the opponents half, what international fly half can&#39;t in rugby today?

Markg

25-05-08, 04:49 AM

I hope you arent going to use this as an excuse for getting hammered

gunner2008

25-05-08, 08:37 PM

In Russia Wilkinson the most known player in Rugby football... Following Paterson...

danny

25-05-08, 08:44 PM

<div class='quotemain'>
What are you talking about?? Wilkinson has been injured consistently since the 2003 WC final and even when he has been on the pitch he&#39;s only been mediocre at best, with his goal kicking the only exceptional feature he brings to games.
I mean sure Wilkinson did something incredible for England in the 2 years that culminated with their RWC victory, but other than that he hasn&#39;t done an aweful lot apart from get pasted by Dan Carter in his brief appearance in the 2005 Lions tour, and that for me means he&#39;s not yet entitled to an "immortal" status... you have to be consistent over your career to go down as a true legend, not just have a couple great years.
[/b]

Precisely,

And the comment stating that Lamb and Cipriani will never be better than Wilko is sheer ignorance to what they have achieved this year I&#39;m afraid.

Agreed, he was the best fly half in the world, bar none, in the years leading up to and including the RWC 2003, but since then he seems to have stumbled through. I feel sorry for the guy, and I think his inconsistency has been linked to his numerous injuries, but when he has been back, he has been a shadow of his former self, and Lamb and Cipriani for that matter.

As I said before, Wilkinson will be around again, without a doubt, but with someone like Johnno leading the way, he&#39;ll have to put his hand up and want it more than ever, because although he guarantees you points from penalties in the opponents half, what international fly half can&#39;t in rugby today?
[/b][/quote]
Nick please stop. Lamb is a good club player whos defence is too poor for the top level. Dont compare him to Wilko its embarrassing